Injury siege misses Bears

Healthy team translates into healthy record

You can't win without a strong lineup, and the Bears--knock on wooden crutches--owe a great deal of their success this season to the relative good health of their players.

The season-ending knee injury to wide receiver Marcus Robinson negatively affected the passing game, but the losses of tight end Kaseem Sinceno to ankle surgery and defensive lineman Frankie Smith with a fractured shoulder have not caused major problems.

Compare those three losses with those of other teams in the NFC Central--such as the Detroit Lions, who lost most of their starting secondary to injured reserve--and it is easy to see why the Bears have been able to rebound from last season's 5-11 record.

"You look at last year and we had 16 guys on injured reserve. It's hard to win games when you've got that many guys hurt," said quarterback Jim Miller, who missed the bulk of last season with a torn Achilles' tendon.

"Especially going down the stretch, it is key to keep everybody healthy. We have been fortunate this year because we have had a lot more depth where guys can fill in if other guys get hurt. But you just can't have massive numbers of injuries."

The Bears (10-3), who play at Washington on Sunday, have clinched a playoff berth and are seeking a first-round bye and home field throughout the postseason. It is not the time to slack off. "If you're not focused and playing with a game plan in mind and playing 100 percent, that's where injuries happen," Miller said.

"Guys on this team are focused, and we understand what opportunity we have ahead of us." The Redskins (6-7) have four players out for the season with injuries: tight end Stephen Alexander with a broken leg and center Mark Fischer, linebacker Shawn Barber and cornerback Donovan Greer with knee injuries.

"The good thing about it is that everybody in the league is hurt right now," said Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache. "All of the big guys from coast to coast are all banged up, they're all sore, they're all hurting to some degree or another.

"This is where your mettle shows, the toughness of the individuals--the determination, the willpower. That's the big thing. We talked [in Wednesday's team meeting] about the things we have to do as a football team. We have to stay grounded, we can't get caught up in all the hoopla."

Rookie running back Anthony Thomas has been getting the bulk of the playing time lately, but James Allen is ready to step in when necessary. Thomas has been hampered by knee and hamstring problems this season.

"We can't let up in that area," Allen said. "We're trying to keep guys from getting hurt. But if you go into the last part of the season trying to change things, you find yourself taking a step back."

Bears running backs are taught to deliver the blow to the tackler before absorbing the big hit.

"Our coach says, `Always be the hammer and not the nail,"' Allen said. "As Chicago running backs, we want to keep the same intensity as those who played before us. We want to always be the toughest backs in the stadium, so we always run hard."

The Bears' starters on defense have yet to miss a game because of an injury.

"The game is so violent and people are put in awkward positions, so you can't really predict who's going to get hurt, when they're going to get hurt or how they're going to get hurt," said safety Mike Brown.